


cure for the itch

by emothy



Category: Kamen Rider OOO
Genre: Gen, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-28
Updated: 2011-10-28
Packaged: 2017-10-25 01:14:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/270062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emothy/pseuds/emothy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Spoilers for the entire series.</p>
            </blockquote>





	cure for the itch

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [These Inconvenient Fireworks](https://archiveofourown.org/works/269971) by [thelittleone (beautybedamned)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/beautybedamned/pseuds/thelittleone). 



> ([mlina](http://archiveofourown.org/users/beautybedamned) wrote ^THAT, and I just couldn't resist my own stab at a scene post-canon, bringing Ankh back.)

-

The shard of the medal - Ankh's last medal - comes out of Eiji's pocket, wrapped in tomorrow's pants alongside a handful of coin.

"You kept that," Ankh says flatly. It's difficult to tell exactly what he means by that - is it approval? Amusement? ...Is he touched by the sentiment? The moment stretches further and further until the silence becomes positively deafening. Hina can actually hear the blood pumping through her veins, the sound thundering in her ears.

And then Ankh smirks. That same derisive smirk he always used to lay on, and Hina feels her heart sink.

"Why would you keep that?" He snorts. And then his entire body shakes with his silent laughter.

Hina feels a hard lump rise in her throat, but she won't cry about this. If anyone is used to Ankh and his thoughtless actions by now, it's her. Tied with Eiji of course.

"If you didn't want me to keep it, why would you have left it with me?" Eiji counters. Hina is a little glad of the way he pushes protectively in front of her to challenge Ankh. It gives her the moment to take a breath, compose herself, and add from behind him, "besides, it would have been dangerous to just throw them away!"

She herself, after all, has been clutching her own half tightly in her palm since the moment Ankh reappeared out of nowhere. Reaching into the pocket of her dress to find it, always there. It always has been. Something solid to cling to if needed.

"That's right!" Eiji says, gaping in realisation. He turns. "That's right, Hina-chan! Imagine if someone had gotten their hands on both halves and found a way to reforge the medal?"

"-I'd have revived," Ankh points out. "Did you not want that?"

"You're here now," Hina says quietly, releasing the words on a breath and hoping they won't fall apart upon impact. They're still so disbelieving. They come out so quietly nobody else hears.

"We tried!" Eiji says. His mouth screws up, his eyes pleading with Ankh to believe them. "There was no possible way!"

"There wouldn't have been anything to worry about then," Ankh says. He helps himself to a seat and slouches back in it. The way he crosses both his legs and his arms speaks for itself about the barrier he is trying to set. But he can't help peering up at them both, one after the other, face accusing and wary all at once.

Suddenly Hina realises what Eiji must already have sensed; Ankh is lashing out because he is afraid that since he's been gone things will have changed. It took so long to make him truly believe they cared, it is just like him to think that it could be lost again easily just because he was no longer there.

"Stop trying to turn this around and make it an attack against you!" Eiji bursts out. This time it's his turn to take a calming breath. "We missed you, you know? Just accept it."

" _That's_ why I kept it," Hina says, opening her palm and thrusting her hand right into Ankh's face. He jerks back, grabbing the sides of the chair to steady himself, but if he looks down his nose he can see it, the broken core medal.

"Sentimental fools, the both of you," he sneers. But his face quickly settles into a far more pensive shape, and he doesn't attempt to take back what must truly be useless to him now. He is already revived without the medal.

"Everything has changed now," he says, bolting up suddenly. Hina jumps back, clutching the half-medal to herself instinctively. "Unless I'm mistaken, none of the other Greeeds have accomplished this resurrection. And there are no longer any core medals in this world to persue. I need to discover my place all over again... I need to evolve."

He is already halfway out the window as he speaks, and there is nothing Eiji or Hina can do to stop him.

"Ankh!" Eiji cries, running to the window and dangling most of the way out of it, looking around futilely.

Hina brings her tightened fist to her chest.

"With us," she says firmly to herself. "You belong with us."

-


End file.
